1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a high quality image recording medium manufacturing method, and in particular to a process for cutting a long roll body to give sheets with no curl.
2. Description of Related Art
With the rapid progress of the information technology industry of recent years, various information processing systems have been developed. Recording methods and recording devices suitable for these information processing systems have also been developed and put to practical use in many fields. As a practical recording method, as well as silver photographic methods there are electrophotographic methods, inkjet recording methods, thermal sensitive recording methods, sublimation transfer imaging, thermal transfer imaging and the like. With all of the above methods there is the same requirement to obtain high quality images which are sharp, and have vivid coloring.
Inkjet recording methods have become widely used, not only in the office but also in the home, since the inkjet recording method enables recording to be performed on various recording materials, the hardware (device) is relatively inexpensive and compact, and operation is quiet. Moreover, with the higher resolution of inkjet printers in recent years, it is also possible to obtain high quality photo-like printed materials. Progress made in such hardware (devices) has also led to various kinds of inkjet recording sheets being developed.
However, inkjet recording media are manufactured by taking a support body, coating with an ink receptive layer, drying and then winding up the length into a long roll. These rolls of semi-finished product are generally jumbo rolls of 0.5 to 2.5 meters in width, and about 500 to 5000 meters in length, and they are finished by slitting and cutting to form the final roll or sheet product. One of the problems which can be cited with this manufacturing process is that during storage, at the jumbo roll stage, a tendency to curl can develop. In particular when a jumbo roll is processed into sheet product, the curl tendency of the jumbo roll can transfer directly to become sheet curl. This problem becomes marked, particularly for the support body, when the stiffness is high. Sheet curl results in the occurrence of problems when printing such as poor feeding and skew. Also, when printing without a border, the curl on the trailing edge can damage a print head.
In order to address the above occurrences of curl methods for improving the coating layer have been proposed (see, for example, publications JP-A 5-28622, JP-A 8-310111, JP-A 11-291616). Also, methods for improving the support body have been proposed (see, for example, publication JP-A 2000-85343). Further still, methods of adding moisture or heat have been proposed (see, for example, publications JP-A 8-269900). However, these are not sufficient counter measures against curl.
A decurling treating process is also proposed for a recording medium where the ink receiving layer is wound up on the inside of the roll length. However, the problem of the occurrence of cracks in the ink receiving coating had not been completely solved, (see, for example JPA 2000-356051).